Improvement



F. P. HAMMOND. Inkipg-Pad.

No. 204,726. Patented .lune 11, 1878'.

WITNBSSBS Y INVBNTOR:

' ATTORNEYS.

MPEERS. FHOTOJJTHOGRAFMER, WASHNGTON. D. CA

UNITED STATES PA'rENr Orr-tong FRED nnAMMoND, ori-AURORA, iLL'INoIs.

-IMPRovEMl-:NT-

INKING-PADS.'

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220111,72@ (lated June ll, D578; application tiled i April 24,187.8.'

To all whom it may concern: v v

Be it known that I, FRED-PUTNAM HAM- MOND, of Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Post-Office Inking- Pads, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to overcome certain difficulties and disadvantages existing in inking-pads of various kinds which have come within my observation and experience. Heretofore various substances, materials, and compounds have been employed in making said pads, such as india-rubber, felt, cloth, leather, buck or chamois skin, printing-roller composition, and other compounds.

Owing to the character of the ink used in postmarking letters and canceling stamps, and the rough usage to which the pads are necessarily subjected during the operation, it has been found ditlcult to obtain apad which would retain the proper shape and softness and enable a clean impression of the stamp to be made, and at the same time possess the desired degree of durability.

My invention meets these requirements more nearly than any other pads which have come to my knowledge.

My invention consists in a novel arrangement and combination of layers of cloth or felt, chamois-skin, oiled silk, and rprintingroller composition, whereby an inking-pad is produced which is durable, enables a clean impression of the stamp to be made, retains the desired rounded surface and proper degree of softness, and is easily manipulated when necessary to replenish the supply of ink.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the manner of carrying out my invention, Figure l being a top view, and Fig. 2 a central vertical section, of a pad embodying my improve ments.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring particularly to Fig. 2, the letter A represents a number of layers of felt or heavy cloth, which form the base or foundation for the pad. On the top of the cloth rests a piece of what is known as printingroller composition,77 which has a llat bottom and a rounded upper surface. On the top of this composition B-is alayer of felt or cloth, C, surmounted by a layer of oiled silk, D, over which is a 'layer of chamois-skin, E. These various layers constitute the pad proper, which is inclosed in a casing or holder. The casing or holder is preferably made of sheet metal, such as tin, iron, or copper, and it may be of any suitable form and dimensions. It is here shown (see Figs. 1 and 2) as consisting of a shallow circular box, G, holding all of the layers excepting the chamois-skin, and two rings or bands, H H, fitting one within the other, and clamping between them the edges of the chamois-skin E, so as to form with the chamois-skin a cap or cover for the box or case Gr. This cap or cover is held in' place on the box or case by means of one or more metallic strips or bars, J, passing underv the bottom ofthe case, and having .hooked ends j, engaging with hooks z' projecting from the periphery of the exterior band H.

In order to supply this pad with ink, the cap or cover is removed, the ink is spread uniformly over the surface of the oiled silk, and the cover is replaced and secured by the clasps J, the Whole operation requiring onlyT a few minutes.

Among the advantages possessed by this invention are the following: The printing-roller vcomposition is soft and elastic, and as it is isolated from contact with the ink, and to a certain extent from atmospheric iniiuence, it retains its softness and elasticity for a long time. The layers of cloth or felt A, forming the baseor foundation, are sufficiently yielding to prevent the bottom of the composition B from being bruised and injured as much as would be the case if said composition rested directly upon the metallic bottom of the box G; and said layers A, together with the layer C on the top of the composition, take oft' a considerable portion of the shock from said composition when the pad is struck by the stamp, and thus prevent it from being broken and bruised.

The oiled silk D being impervious to moisture, the ink cannot soak through it so as to become absorbed by the layer C and, composition B, and hence the parts below the oiled silk cannot become hardened and rotten by reason of absorption of the ink. Furthermore., said oiled silk, owing to said impervious character, and also to its smoothness, fun nishes an even surface, upon which the ink is spread uniformly throughout, while it is sufficiently flexible to allow it to yield properly when struck by the stamp.

The chamois-skin E possesses a suitable degrec of porosity to allow just the proper quantity of ink to exude at each stroke of the stamp to enable a clean impression of the stamp to be made, and it is easily cleansed when necessary from long ,exposure and d isuse, or from the accumulation of dust.

When the chamois-skin or the oiled silk or both need replacing by new, it is not necessary to replace the other layers at the same time, inasmuch as their isolation before referred to preserves them much longer than the two uppermost layers.

Finally, the case or holder constitutes a neat, cheap, convenient receptacle for the pad proper, while its construction enables it to be readily manipulated without loss of time.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-y A post-office inking-pad composed of layers 0f cloth or felt, printing-roller composition, oiled silk, and buck or chamois skin, arranged with relation to each other substantially as herein described.

FRED PUTNAM HAMMOND.

Witnesses:

G. A. PFRANGLE, J. J. MoLANUs. 

